Carmen Medina

Carmen Medina is an intelligence professional whose career at the Central Intelligence Agency spanned more than three decades. A retired senior federal executive with 32 years of experience in the intelligence community, Medina is a national and international expert on intelligence analysis, strategic thinking, diversity of thought, and innovation and intrapreneurship in the public sector. She began her career at the CIA Operations Center, a 24/7 watch office, and advanced to one of the agency's most senior analytical positions. Medina served on the executive team that led the CIA's Analysis Directorate and later oversaw the agency's Lessons Learned program, leading efforts to address challenges posed by social networks, digital ubiquity, and the culture of collaboration.

Medina was the first CIA executive to conceptualize many information technology applications now used by analysts, including blogs, online production, collaborative tools, and Intellipedia, a project she personally approved. Intellipedia played a significant role in identifying the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks. Her efforts to challenge established norms faced institutional resistance, but her persistence contributed to reshaping how the intelligence community shares and processes information. Upon her retirement, Medina received the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal.

She is the co-author of the book "Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within" and the Deloitte University Press paper "Diversity's New Frontier: Diversity of Thought and the Future of the Workplace." Medina's experience as a change agent at the CIA is featured in Adam Grant's book "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World." She has also served as a senior advisor and mentor to Deloitte's innovation program, GovLab.

Medina is a recognized expert on critical thinking, diversity of thought, and intrapreneurship, speaking to Fortune 500 companies, major nonprofits, and governments. She has appeared at South by Southwest, TEDxMidAtlantic, the Open Source Intelligence conference OSMOSIS, the Intelligence Community Innovation Summit, the Colours of Ostrava Ideas Festival, and medical conferences, addressing topics such as intelligence analysis, teamwork, and creative thinking.

Medina has been a leader on diversity issues at the CIA, serving on equity boards across organizational levels and directorates. She is active in mentoring women in national security as a founding member of Amazing Women in the Intelligence Community and serves on the boards of National Intelligence University and the National Security Institute. Through her writing, speaking, and advocacy, Medina continues to encourage organizations to embrace dissent, foster creative thinking, and build cultures where unconventional ideas can develop.